Chapter 5

Jeff doesn't know who fell to sleep first. He does know that the couch-bed started off with three people, himself, Reana and Yvette. Brian and Steve were on the loveseat-bed. But as Jeff blinks and yawns, Brian is back to back with him while Steve is stretched out on the other side next to Yvette. Reana has her head on his left shoulder and is holding hands with Yvette.

Jeff lays there for a full minute wondering how he's going to get out of the bed without waking everyone. Then Reana shifts, blinks her eyes open and yawns. She looks to her left and sees Yvette and Steve. Yvette's no surprise, but Reana furrows her brows at Steve. Jeff motions behind himself with his thumb. Reana lifts her head and sees the edge of Brain.

Carefully, Reana inches to the foot of the couch-bed and climbs off. A few seconds later, Jeff is standing with her. Both of them stand there amused as they look at Steve, Yvette and Brian still sleeping on the futon.

Reana whispers to Jeff, "Do you think it'll be like this if we have children?"

Jeff takes her hand. "If we're blessed." Then he leads her to the kitchen where they won't have to whisper. They both automatically set in motion to prepare breakfast for everyone.

"What do you mean if we have children," ask Jeff.

"We haven't discussed the details of what we want together. I didn't think you wanted children. That's what I heard you tell Gloria once," responds Reana.

"You only caught part of that conversation. She decided she wanted to get married and have a baby. I was making it explicitly clear that those were things I would never do with her. Now you, things are different with you. I love you and I want ten kids with you."

"Ten," says Reana surprised, "Lets compromise a little there."

"You know, we haven't been careful," Jeff reminds Reana, "We could already have one cooking. But you're right, ten's a little excessive. How about five?"

Reana thinks a moment, "I like the sound of five. It doesn't sound over whelming."

"Then five it is," says Jeff smiling, "Now, we just need to set a date for the wedding. Do you want to wait till after you receive your bachelor's degree?"

"I don't think it's necessary to wait that long," says Reana, "Let's do it before the fall semester begins."

"That sounds perfect," agrees Jeff.

"Damn it!" (SLAP!!!) "Ass! Keep your hands off my breasts," Jeff and Reana hear Yvette yell.

"Ow! That hurt," they hear Brian complain.

"Good," states Yvette, "Touch me again and it's instant sex change. Then you can feel yourself up."

"Man, did you really think you'd get away with it," ask Steve.

"I was hoping she was a heavy sleeper," answers Brian.

Reana's trying not to smile as she pulls a chair out for Yvette. Yvette obviously angry sits down.

Then Brian enters the kitchen rubbing the side of his face, followed by Steve grinning huge and amused like a Cheshire cat.

"Okay, people," Reana says authoritatively, "Jeff's special pancakes here, and we also have bacon and veggie links, Beverages: hot cocoa here, hot water for tea, regular and herbal available, ice water and juices, orange, apple and white grape. And finally, the fresh fruit available this morning, apples, oranges, and bananas in the fruit basket, strawberries here," placing the strawberries on the table.

Jeff takes his usual seat next to Reana, "You know, Brian, I sleep like the dead... So, did you feel me up while I was sleeping," having some fun at Brian's expense. "Did you touch my butt? ... Yeah, you touched my butt."

They have a pleasant breakfast together. But underneath the laughter and smiles are serious thoughts, concern for friends and family. Are they safe here or just temporarily safe? Has help already arrived? Or will they need to find help? Is this event localized or global? What if there's no way to get help? How will they help themselves?

And as they finish breakfast, they know it's time to start answering these questions. Or at least, start asking them of each other. As the oldest person in the house, with twice the life experience of the young people at the table, as well as the one with the most education, Jeff feels a burden as unofficial leader. The only thing that eases his burden is knowing Reana is his unofficial general. Working against them is Reana's phobic fear of insects. If they have to face another giant roach, falling out in a dead faint is counterproductive and Reana knows it.

Reana takes the initiative, "So, who's going to begin?"

"Phone's still dead," Yvette reports, "Checked it on my way to the kitchen."

Then Steve adds, "Still no TV."

"How about radio," ask Brian.

"Let's find out," Jeff gets up from the table and retrieves the radio from his old bedroom and brings it into the kitchen. He sets it on a counter, plugs it in and flips the switch. To everyone's relief, instantly there's music. Jeff changes the channels just to make sure they're all there and they are. "Good, I think it's safe to say this is a localize event."

"We're cut off from the rest of the world," states Reana, "All the major highways by pass us."

"Do we have any weapons or anything that can be used as a weapon," ask Brian.

"In the attic," Reana thinking, "is my bow and my quiver is full of arrows. There's also a couple of baseball bats. You two go up and get those and see what else you can find."

Brian and Steve don't have to be told twice. They comply immediately.

Reana gets up and looks outside through the backdoor's windows, "Haven't seen Bandit since we let him out yesterday morning. I stepped out front and called for him yesterday around lunch time."

"Don't worry," Jeff assures Reana, "He always turns back up."

They hear two raps on the front door.

Yvette slowly rises to her feet, "Someone's at the front door."

Two more raps on the front door.

"Guess we should see who it is," Jeff leading the way. He peeks out the front window as Brian and Steve arrive with baseball bats in hand.

"It's Greta," Jeff informs the others, "Jimmy, Melody, Tammy and Bandit are with her. But none of them look right. They're still in their clothes from yesterday. Jimmy and Melody have what looks like dried puke going down the front of them. Greta's holding a jar with a kitten sized roach in it...They each have one sitting on a shoulder… Looks like Jimmy also has one attached at the base of his skull."

Jeff shakes his head, "No."

"Well," Reana taking a deep breath, "there's only one thing to do."

Jeff steps over to the front door and says, "I'll get it." He opens the front and looks through the screen door at Greta. All their eyes look empty. And now he can also see Jimmy and Melody have also urinated on themselves.

Greta speaks in a flat emotionless tone, "Jefferson Tyler... Jeff, you are safe. The others with you are safe... The Reana female, your mate, is she well?"

"Yes," Jeff answers, "She's fine."

"Good," Greta responds, "This Greta female was concerned. She contains much information. Her information made the queen decide you and the others would serve better free willed... This is confusing you because you see the low life form. We have been using the low life form as hosts, but this is not satisfactory. We desire human host... On our home world we were not forced to use such basic creatures. Here so far, we have been unable to merge with the higher life form. This connection," she motions to the roach attached at the base of her own head, "is inadequate. It cannot be maintained indefinitely. It is also painful for the higher life form."

Jeff has to ask, "How did you come to be here?"

"Our sun, super nova, shattered our planet. We most likely only survivors," Greta's speech becomes choppy, "Meteor... crashed here... Specimen for you..," she holds out the jar. "You… scientist... Need your assistance…"

Jeff clears his throat, "With what I need to do to this specimen, it won't survive. And I doubt this one specimen will be enough."

The roaches on their shoulders shift. Jimmy lets out a guttural moan. Greta takes the lid off the jar, but the roach inside doesn't try to escape.

"Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Ala and Buddha," Reana exclaims.

Jeff stares as thumb sized roaches come out of their hiding places in the house. One-by-one they crawl into the jar with the kitten sized roach.

"Are there more in our house," ask Jeff.

"No," answers Greta as her head does an odd twitch, "These are all the scouts from this dwelling. Female Reana... phobic fear..." she screws the perforated lid back on the jar.

"So you've been spying on us," ask Jeff.

"Observing," Greta's head does an odd movement, "These organisms alone are not able to understand speech. Found could connect to higher life form with lower by accident." She holds the jar out for Jeff to take and he takes it.

"Having trouble," ask Jeff.

"Female Greta… strong will. These others… less will. Yet male Jimmy and female Melody malfunction frequently. We will return to check on your progress."

"No more scouts," states Jeff.

"Someone will knock," responds Greta. Then the four people and the dog leave the front porch. They get into Jimmy's car. Greta gets into the driver's seat. She slumps against the steering wheel for a couple of moments. Then she jerks back upright. The car starts and pulls away.

Jeff shuts the front door and turns around with the jar of roaches. Reana shutters at the sight of the roach filled jar. Jeff exhales, "Looks like we've got work to do. Reana, where'd you store my old lab equipment?"

Reana turns to Brian and Steve, "Guys, attic, boxes marked Lab Stuff. And grab my bow and stuff. Yvette, me and you, basement."

Jeff is left standing there holding the jar, "Well, that was easy."